I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8955 

To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to ensure that, whenever 

the Indian Health Service undertakes an investigation into the professional conduct of a licensee of a State, the Service notifies the relevant 

State medical board, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 9, 2024 

Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to ensure that, whenever the Indian Health Service undertakes an investigation into the professional conduct of 

a licensee of a State, the Service notifies the relevant 

State medical board, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘IHS Provider Integrity 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. NOTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATION REGARDING 

2 PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT; SUBMISSION OF 

3 RECORDS. 

4 Title VIII of the Indian Health Care Improvement 

5 Act (25 U.S.C. 1671 et seq.) is amended by adding at 

6 the end the following: 

7 ‘‘SEC. 833. NOTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATION REGARDING 

8 PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT; SUBMISSION OF 

9 RECORDS. 

10 ‘‘(a) REPORT.—Not later than 14 calendar days after 

11 the date on which the Service undertakes an investigation 

12 into the professional conduct of a licensee of a State, the 

13 Secretary, acting through the Service, shall notify the rel14 evant State medical board of the investigation. 

15 ‘‘(b) SUBMISSION OF RECORDS.—Not later than 14 

16 calendar days after the date on which the Service gen17 erates records relating to an investigation conducted by 

18 the Service into the professional conduct of a licensee of 

19 a State, the Secretary, acting through the Service, shall 

20 provide the records to the relevant State medical board.’’. 

21 SEC. 3. FITNESS OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title VIII of the Indian Health 

23 Care Improvement Act is amended by inserting after sec24 tion 802 (25 U.S.C. 1672) the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 803. FITNESS OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 

2 ‘‘(a) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR HIRING OF

3 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS BY SERVICE.—As part of the 

4 hiring process for each health care provider position at 

5 the Service after the date of enactment of the IHS Pro6 vider Integrity Act, the Director shall require from the 

7 medical board of each State in which the health care pro8 vider has or had a medical license— 

9 ‘‘(1) information on any violation of the re10 quirements of the medical license of the health care 

11 provider during the 20-year period ending on the 

12 date on which the health care provider is being con13 sidered for a position at the Service; and 

14 ‘‘(2) information on whether the health care 

15 provider has entered into any settlement agreement 

16 for a disciplinary charge relating to the practice of 

17 medicine by the health care provider. 

18 ‘‘(b) PROVISION OF INFORMATION ON SERVICE

19 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO STATE MEDICAL

20 BOARDS.—Notwithstanding section 552a of title 5, United 

21 States Code, with respect to each health care provider of 

22 the Service who has violated a requirement of the medical 

23 license of the health care provider, the Director shall pro24 vide to the medical board of each State in which the health 

25 care provider is licensed detailed information with respect 


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1 to the violation, regardless of whether the medical board 

2 has formally requested that information.’’. 

3 (b) REPORT ON COMPLIANCE BY INDIAN HEALTH

4 SERVICE WITH REVIEWS OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

5 LEAVING SERVICE OR TRANSFERRING TO OTHER FACILI6 TIES.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact7 ment of this Act, the Director of the Indian Health Service 

8 shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the 

9 Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 

10 House of Representatives a report on the compliance by 

11 the Indian Health Service with the policy of the Indian 

12 Health Service— 

13 (1) to conduct a review of each health care pro14 vider of the Indian Health Service who transfers to 

15 another medical facility of the Indian Health Serv16 ice, resigns, retires, or is terminated to determine 

17 whether there are any concerns, complaints, or alle18 gations of violations relating to the medical practice 

19 of the health care provider; and 

20 (2) to take appropriate action with respect to 

21 any concern, complaint, or allegation described in 

22 subparagraph (A). 

Æ 


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